@ pamw... No it wasn't my decision to change supervisors - I was told that my funding body require it first of all, and then also that my institute require at least one of the supervisors involved to have a PhD (i.e. I don't think it has to be your main supervisor with a PhD, just someone).

I didn't really want to change at first ('cause I liked my original sup better as a person!) but now I can see why I had to... Whenever I ask her for advice she says "You'll have to ask new sup". I don't know if she can't give me advice or if she just won't!!!

hello! Don't worry too much about the first year - It is an important time to gain confidence and knowledge, to work around your broad ideas and gain that little gem of original knowledge that will spark your PhD off, to organise research questions, a case study/ lab details, to gain a vague title and to shuffle papers! I was sent out by my supervisor to chat to others in the department which helped a lot in understanding how a 'research community' works. Also, in our dept we had to write a new research proposal at the end of the final year which helped so, so much. I am halfway through my second year and I use this research proposal all the time to remind myself of my focus and the point to it all! It helped me shed all my immature ideas from when I first started and provided a new lit. review, had to be thoughtful and show how my work was original. The feedback was invaluable too. Good luck, and enjoy it!

Thank you, thank you, thank you - I know this to be true, but i still don't know enough basic material to get by. I read and read yet none of it sinks in. Then I go to meetings and get exposed for not knowing anything. But then, at least that way, I know what I need to revise and know about, at the very least. So it's a starting point. So I wish I hadn't wasted those hours reading irrelevant thinsg when I wouldn't have been any better off and could have just done badly at a meeting, learned what I needed to learn but had a fun time beforehand, instead of needlessly stressing and giving up my life trying to fruitlessly pour through books. Sigh :( Is it possible?

Ninja

Can I ask you what your first degree was in?